Printing press plate treating apparatus



March 20, 1962 w. c. HUEBNER PRINTING PRESS PLATE TREATING APPARATUS 4 Sheets-Sheet l Filed Feb. 24, 1959 J .a Illl 11| O O O T WW ATTORNEYS March 20, 1962 w. C. HUEBNER PRINTING PRESS PLATE TREATING APPARATUS 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Feb. 24, 1959 IIIIIIIIIIIHIT IN VENTOR ATTORNEYS March 20, 1962 v w. c. HUEBNER 3,025,789

PRINTING PRESS PLATE TREATING APPARATUS Filed Peb. 24, 1959 4 sheeAs-sheet s ATTORNEYS March 20, 1962 w. c. HUEBNER PRINTING PRESS PLATE TREATING APPARATUS 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 Filed Feb. 24, 1959 .oooooooo SOWOGOQ OOOOOOG la LJ' wm .uw mm ATTORNEYS 3,Z5,789 Patented Mar. 20, 1962 3,025,789 PRINTING PRESS PLATE TREATING APPARATUS William C. Huebner, 100 Mamaroneclr Ave., Mamaroneck, N.Y. Filed Feb. 24, 1959, Ser. No. 795,211 3 Claims. (Cl. 101-14-7) 'Ihis invention relates to apparatus for moistening and mixing air with water vapor, metallic salts and other materials and for directing the air thus treated to the surface of a printing plate for offset printing and for direct print- 1ng.

At the present time offset presses are equipped with Water fountains and dampening rollers which wet the surface of the printing plate, followed by inking rollers that apply ink to the images, both sets of rollers contacting the entire plate surface. Each time the printing starts, it is necessary with this prior apparatus to bring the water and ink deposit into balance. Too much water produces gray impressions due to the fact that the ink becomes water logged or emulsified and thus loses its body so that the image printed on paper is not in full color. Too little water causes the plate to scum and dry quickly with the result that the ink fills up the dry area. A good many sheets of good paper are spoiled or wasted while attempting to attain the correct water `and ink balance.

I have provided a printing plate disclosed in my copending application Number 790,586 filed February Z, 1959, in which the non-printing areas of the plate are formed of a composition which is capable of absorbing suicient moisture from humidied air to make it ink repellent, and it is consequently an object of this invention to provide apparatus and a method by means of which moisture is supplied to the non-printing surfaces of a printing plate, or to other surfaces.

It has also been found that certain metallic salts have the property of repelling ink, and a further object of this invention is to provide apparatus of this kind by means of which air projected to the printing plate also contains at least one of these metallic salts.

It is also an object of this invention to provide apparatus which confines the treated air mainly in the vicinity of the press so that the air in the room in which the press is located will not be materially effected by means of my improved apparatus.

In the accompanying drawings:

FIG. l is a face view of apparatus embodying my invention for treating air and directing the same to a printing plate.

FIG. 2 is an end View thereof as seen from line 2 2, FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a sectional plan view thereof on line 3 3, FIG. 2.

FIG. 4 is a transverse sectional View thereof on line 1-4, FIG. l.

FIG. 5 is a fragmentary bottom view thereof.

FIG. 6 is a fragmentary sectional elevation taken approximately on line 6-6, FIG. 4.

FIG. 7 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view thereof on line 7-7, FIG. 6.

My apparatus may be mounted on yany desired part of a printing press, but preferably is arranged at a side of the printing roll in advance of the inking roller. lil represents a printing roll having a plate lll mounted on the surface thereof. My apparatus extends completely across the press to project treated air to all parts of the printing roll as it rotates, and my apparatus may be mounted on the frame of the printing press in any desired manner, not shown.

r[he non-printing portions of the plate forming the subiect matter of my forementioned application for patent are hygroscopic and contain certain mineral salts. As stated in. my aforementioned application for patent, this composition may comprise 350 grams of water thoroughly mixed with 5 grams of a composition designated as carbopol 932. Then 10 grams of lithium bromide powder and 17 grams of glycerine are added and the resulting solution is neutralized by the addition of 18 grams of caustic soda or other alkaline metal. This mixture is applied to the printing plate with a carpet pad and rubbed manually over the entire plate.

In order to maintain a sufficient quantity of moisture in these ink repellent surfaces, it is desirable to supply water to the non-printing surfaces by means of air which is treated with water, but it is also desirable in order to maintain the non-printing areas in the desired condition to include in the air which is projected against the printing plate some metal salts and other materials. The metal salt, which has been found to be very satisfactory for use in connection with the liquid which is used to treat the air, is lithium bromide and a small quantity of this material is consequently included in the water which is used to treat the air. It is also desirable to add glycerine to this solution and some caustic soda or other alkaline metal salt to neutralize the acidity of the solution. A newly developed product known as carbopol 932 is preferably also added.

This solution is contained in any suitable reservoir or container, that shown including a tube 12 extending lengthwise above the apparatus and having a plurality of outlets through which liquid is discharged. In the construction shown for this purpose, there are provided at intervals lengthwise of this tube l2 a series of discharge ducts 142, all leading to an air and liquid mixing device. In order to control the amount of liquid discharged from the tube 12, each of the discharge tubes 14 is preferably provided with a sight glass 1S and a control valve adjustable by means of a handle 16 so that the operator can determine the rate of ow or number of drops per unit of time of the liquid through each discharge tube la.

The liquid from the discharge tubes 14 passes into a distributing tube or conduit 19= also extending lengthwise of the apparatus and receiving air under slight pressure from a manifold 20 having a series of air discharge ducts 2l terminating in the distributing tube 19.

The mixing of the air with the liquid takes place in an elongated box-like structure or housing 24, the length of which is substantially equal to the length of the printing roll. The upper and lower longitudinally extending portions of this housing contain -a porous sponge-like material 25. This sponge-like material may be of a synthetic porous composition which is readily permeable by moisture and air and the liquid from the tube 19 may be discharged to the sponge-like material 25 in any desired manner. For example the distributing tube may be provided at intervals lengthwise thereof with holes 0r openings 26 arranged in the lower portion thereof in registration with holes 27 formed in the housing 24 so that the liquid and air contained in the tube 19 will be forced by the air in the tube 2l directly into the sponge-like mass 25. Preferably the liquid is discharged into the upper portion of the tube I9 through the liquid discharge tubes I4 in spaced relation or lapproximately midway between the discharge openings 2.6, as shown in FIG. `6, and air may be discharged adjacent to the discharge openings 26 through the air discharge tubes 2l so that the air blows the liquid through the registering openings 26 and 27 into the sponge-like mass. I have shown the liquid discharged only into the upper of the two sponge-like masses 25, but if desired similar means may be provided for discharging liquid and air into the lower` sponge-like mass.

28 represents angle bars which are secured to the housing 24 and serve to form parts of a wall thereof and to conne the sponge-like material in the housing.

The liquid contained in the sponge-like mass or masses 25 is conducted to an air current or series of air currents directed into the box-like housing 24 from the rear thereof, this housing being open at the front to direct humidified air against the plate 11 on the printing cylinder 1i). This air is preferably directed by means of a series of fans or blowers 30 driven by motors 31 directly connected to the rotors of the fans or blowers. The blowers shown by way of example are of the centrifugal type having discharge ducts 32, each of which terminates at an opening in the back wall of an air chamber 33 arranged in the back of the box-like housing 24. It is, of course, very desirable to provide a substantially uniform ow of air at all portions lengthwise of the box-like housing and for this purpose the blowers have their discharge outlets alternately arranged at different elevations.

To further provide for a uniform discharge of air from the air chamber 33, a screen or grid 36 is provided which separates the air chamber from the open faced end of the box-like housing 24, this screen or grid 36 extending throughout the length of the housing 24. The opposite or front face of the housing 24 is open and positioned in the immediate vicinity of the printing cylinder.

The air from the air chamber 33- is moistened by the liquid from the Sponges 25 in any suitable manner, and in the construction shown for this purpose a large nurnber of small closely spaced belts 40 are provided which pass over rollers 41 and 42 arranged in contact with the sponge portions 25. At least one of these grooved rollers is driven in any suitable manner so that the belts are carried into contact with a damp sponge or Sponges to become coated with liquid and to pass across the path of air from the air chamber 33. Any desired means may be provided for driving one or both of these rollers, and in the construction shown, see particularly FIGS. 2 and 3, only the upper roller 41 is driven from a motor 45, the shaft of which has a pinion 46 secured thereto which drives a gear 47 mounted on a shaft also having a sprocket gear 448 secured thereto. This sprocket gear drives a sprocket chain 50 which passes over a pair of idler 'sprocket gears 51 and 52 and over a sprocket 54 mounted 'on vthe shaft of the upper roller 41. The sprocket gears and chain are preferably arranged in a drive housing 49 secured to the Imain housing 24 and comprising two Walls 55 and v56. The drive motor 45 is mounted on the exterior 'of the drive housing.

The sprocket wheel 54 is preferably detachably connected with the upper roll 41 and for this purpose, FIGS. 6 and '7, the sprocket wheel 54 has an enlarged hollow hub 57 provided with a central opening into which a `spring' loaded drive pin 58 extends, the pin having an enlarged flange or head 59 at one end thereof which has a driving extension 60 provided with a at outer face. The roll 41 has a bore in the end thereof adjacent to the sprocket wheel 54 into which the end 60 of the head 59 may enter. This bore has a ilat inner face forming a driving connection with the drive pin S. The other end of the sprocket 54 is bifurcated, thus providing a slot 62 and the drive pin 58 has a cross pin 63 extending through the same which tits into the slot between the projection 62, thus completing a drive connection between the sprocket wheel 54 and the roll '41. The pin is provided at the outer end thereof with a knurled knob 64. Consequently, when it is desired to disconnect the sprocket wheel 54 from the roll 41 it is merely necessary to pull out the pin 58 until the flattened end portion of the collar 59 is out of the roll 41 and the cross pin is out of the slot in the hub 57, whereupon, by turning the pin 58, the cross pin 63 may be brought to rest on the ends of the projections 62 of the bifurcated part of the hub 57, thus holding the sprocket wheel 54 disconnected from the roll 41. Any other means may be provided for detachably connecting the roll 41 from its driving means.

In the operation of the apparatus, when liquid is supplied at the correct rate and air under pressure greater than the air from the blowers 30 to the sponge or sponges 25, and the blowers 30 are in operation and the roll 41 imparts rotation to the belts '40, the air from the blowers which may be heated if desired, is forced to pass between these belts, which are wet with liquid contained in the sponge or Sponges and crosswise of currents of air from the air passages 21, which has passed through the upper sponge 25. This air from the blowers 30 in passing crosswise of the air currents from the sponge 25 and through the small spaces between the belts, picks up moisture from the belts as well as other substances contained in the liquid. This air is consequently discharged directly against the printing plate 11 of the roll 1t) and imparts moisture and some of the substances contained in the liquid to the ink-repellent surfaces of the plate so as to keep these surfaces suiciently moist to repel ink. Since these ink-repelling surfaces of the printing plate contain hygroscopic materials, these materials will assist in the ready absorption of moisture from the humidiiied air blown against them, and since some of the hygroscopic materials are picked up by the paper during printing, they are replaced by similar substances contained in the liquid which is supplied to the air. The ink-receiving surfaces of the printing plate have no tendency to pick up moisture from the air, and since the apparatus described can be carefully regulated so that no droplets or particles of moisture will be carried by the air to the printing plate, it follows that moisture will only be absorbed from this air by the non-printing portions of the plate. This overcomes the possibility of contaminating the ink on the inked surfaces of the plate by water and consequently overcomes the difliculty heretofore encountered, in that particles of water became deposited on the ink surfaces and thus interfered with the production of high grade printing.

The apparatus `described is Very reliable in operation and requires very little attention. When the feed of liquid for one printing plate has been determined by setting of the liquid supply valves, little or no adjustment is required when the apparatus is used on another printing plate. Consequently there is a reduction in the delay in the operation of the press when changing from one printing job to another and little or no paper is wasted in adjusting the feed of water as was necessary with this type of printing ias heretofore carried on.

By replenishing on the ink repellent portions of the printing plate the substances removed therefrom by the paper during printing, the effective life of printing plates is greatly increased by my `improved printing process as herein described, thus making it possible to print much larger editions from a plate than was heretofore possible.

It is desirable of course to `avoid as much as possible the discharge of the treated air from the apparatus described into the atmosphere in which the printing press is operating, and for this purpose I provide along the upper and lower edges of the housing 24 suction tubes 65 which have air-receiving openings 66 on the portions thereof facing each other. These tubes Iare connected at their outer ends with suitable suction ducts 67 which are partly shown in FIG. 1, and which may be connected with any suitable air-exhausting system not shown. In this manner the air which has been discharged to the printing plate and deflected therefrom is drawn by suction into the tubes 65 from which it m-ay be discharged to the exterior of the building in which the press is located, or returned to the apparatus for further treatment. These suction ducts in the construction shown are secured to the upper and lower `faces of the housing 24 in any suitable manner, for example, by means of strips or plates 68 secured to the ducts vand held on the housing by means of screws 69 passing through keyhole slo-ts in strips or plates which permits them to be readily removed if desired.

The air which passes to the upper sponge from the air ducts 21 passes through the upper sponge 25 from which it picks up liquid contained in the sponge and is discharged therefrom for movement crosswise of the air from the blowers 30. This air consequently picks up moisture and other substances both from the air which has passed through t-he sponge 25 and from the belts 40 and carries it to the type plate 11.

While I have shown my improvements as applied to a printing plate mounted on ya roll, it will be obvious that my apparatus may equally well be applied to at printing plates, which may pass back and forth across the discharge opening of the housing. It will, of course, be obvious that my improved apparatus may be employed for coating paper or other sheets or webs and for applying coating to metal sheets. Obviously the liquid supplied to the upper sponge may be varied greatly to suit different coating requirements.

The air which passes through the upper sponge 25 carries with it suicient moisture and other ingredients to keep the lower sponge 25 wet. Also some moisture which is not picked up from the belts 40 passes to the lower sponge with the result that this sponge also moistens the upwardly moving portions of the belts 40 so that ample liquid as well as substances contained therein is fed across the currents of air yfrom the blowers 30.

It will be understood that various changes in the details, materials and arrangements of parts, which have been herein described and illustrated in order to explain the nature of the invention, may be made by those skilled in the ait, within the principle and scope of the invention, as expressed in the appended claims.

I claim:

l. Apparatus for treating a printing press plate including va housing formed to extend lengthwise of a printing plate and having a discharge opening at a side thereof directed toward said plate, lair moving means for directing air through said housing Iand through said discharge opening toward said plate, a plurality of belts arranged in close proximity to each other and spaced apart to permit air to pass between them land extending across the path of air from said air moving means to said discharge opening, rollers over which said belts pass and which are rotated to move said belts across the path of air, a porous flexible body in said housing against which said belts rub for coating said belts with liquid to be transmitted to the air by evaporation, and means yfor supplying liquid to said porous body.

2. Apparatus for treating a printing press plate including a housing formed to extend lengthwise of a printing plate and having la discharge opening at `a side thereof directed toward said plate, and an air chamber in the opposite side thereof, blowers for delivering air to said air chamber, a screen separating said lair chamber from the remainder of said 'housing and for equalizing the flow of air through said housing, a plurality of air moistening members in close proximity to each other in said housing and movable across said housing for contact with the air flowing through the same, la porous, llexible body in the upper portion of said housing with which said movable members contact to receive liquid to be carried across said air, a. liquid distributing tube extending lengthwise of said housing and connected with said porous body for supplying liquid thereto, means for supplying measured quantities of liquid to said distributing tube, and air supply ducts connected with said distributing tube for moving liquid from said tube into said porous body.

3. Apparatus for treating Ia printing press plate including ya housing Iformed to extend lengthwise of a printing plate and having 1a discharge opening at a side thereof directed toward said plate, :and yan air chamber in the opposite side thereof, blowers for delivering `air to said air chamber, a screen separating said air chamber from the remainder of said housing `and `for equalizing the ilow of air through said housing, a plurality of air moistening members in close proximity to each other in said housing 'and movable across said housing for contact with the air owing through the same, a porous iiexible body in the upper portion of said housing with which said movable members contact to receive liquid to be carried across said air, a liquid distributing tube extending lengthwise of said housing and connected with said porous body yfor supplying liquid thereto, means for supplying measured quantities of liquid to said ldistributing tube, :and air sup; ply tubes terminating at said porous member for blowing air through said porous member to the discharge opening of said housing.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,101,202 Stevens Dec. 7, 1937 2,108,984 Grembecki Feb. 22, 1938 2,288,287 Kokay .lune 30, 1942 2,569,488 Newman Oct. 2, 1951 2,681,617 wormen Junezz, 1954 2,856,848 Pritchard Oct. 21, 1958 FOREIGN PATENTS 175,956 Austria Feb. 15, 1953 

